Clasp.



No. 783,782. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. P. W. GRUENER a G. W. HENRY.

CLASP.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 16. 1904.

llrlo. 763,782,

Srarns atented February 28, 1905.

PAUL W lltUENER AN l) (urEOltGE W. HENRY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,782, dated February 28, 1905.

Application liled March 16, 1904. Serial No. 198,425.

To al?, whom it may oon/cern:

Be it known that we, PAUL W. Gammes and (luenen W. HENRY, citizens of the United States, and residents of the borough of the Bronx, in the city and State of New York, have liointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Olasps, of which the following is a specilication.

lhis invention relates to the class of clasping devices, and particularly to such devices so constructed and adapted as to be applied for clasping shoe-laces in order to avoid the necessity of tying' them.

The object of the invention is to provide an ornamental clasp which will embrace and hold the ends of the laces firmly and which may be readily unhooled or unelasped by a proper manipulation of the laces when the shoe" is to be removed.

l`he speciiic features of the construction of the clasp and the manner of using the same will be fully hereinafter set forth, and the novel features carefully deiined in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a perspective View showing a shoe with the clasp applied to and clasping the laces thereof. The other views show the clasp detached. *Figa 2 1s an under slde view of the clasp. Fig. 31s a longitudinal section at line ai in Fig. 2, showing it closed. Fig. L is a similar view to Fig. 3, but with only the body of the clasp in section. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section showing the clasp open.. Fig. 6 is a cross-section, on a larger scale than Figs. 2te illustrating the clamping of the shoe-laces.

In Fig. l, A designates ashoe, B the sheelaces, and O ther clasp as a whole. y This iigure shows the flat laces formed into bows and gripped by the clasp, the laces not being' tied. Referring to the other figures, which show the construction of the clasp on a larger scale, A1 designates the ornamental face-plate of the clasp, which may be of metal, as silver, and chased er ornamented in anyway desired. llVithin this face-plate is a base-plate 2, which 'may also be of metal, as brass, for example. 'lhe base-plate is secured to the face-plate in some convenient manner. As herein shown, the thin metal of the face-plate is turned over the edge of the base-plate so as to embrace and bind it. As represented in the drawings, the body of the clasp, formed by the plates 1l and 2, is of oblong ferm, rounded at the ends and has a concavo-convex contour. On the inner or concave face of the base-plate are two bearing-lugs 3,in which is hinged a clasping-jaw t. This jaw is mounted to be thrown open by the arm 5 of a coil-spring 6, mounted on the base-plate. The end of this arm 5 engages at 7 an aperture in the jaw a, and when the jaw is closed the arm enters into an elongated slot 8 in the jaw, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. When the jaw 4c is closed against the pressure of the spring, a latching-keeper 9 in its free end engages a stud l() on the base-piece and holds the jaw closed. It may be explained here that the hinge-pin l1, about which the jaw turns, en' gages sligl1tlyslotted bearings (seen at 3 in Fig. in the lugs Sand may be tightly litted in hinging-lugs A on the jaw, also that back of the hinge on the jaw 4 is a curved spring 4L", which bears on a suitable lug 2 on the base-plate. The effect of this is that the jaw has a little endwise movement at the hinge and the spring el. tends to press it toward the catch-stud 10. Consequently when the jaw t is closed a bevel at 9 thereon presses on and wipes over the stud l0, and pressure on the jaw moves the latter endwise until the stud 10 engages the keeper 9, when the spring Li" `pushes the jaw endwise until the stud fully enters the undercut portion of the keeper. The disengagement or unlatching is effected by pushing the jaw end wise toward the hinged end thereof.

'ln applying the clasp the laces B are drawn up snugly, flattened, and smoothed, the ends folded over to form bows and the clasp applied in such a manner that the laces will be embraced between the spring-arm 5 and the jaw et. The jaw is then closed and latched, when the clasping-arm 5 will press the laces into the slot 8 in the manner seen in Fig. (i, bending them into the slot and binding them tightly. To disengage the clasp, if the body of the latter be held between the thumb and linger and the laces be drawn sidewise toward the hinge the jaw will be shifted end wise and IOC) ' on the laces.

nnlatched so that the spring-arm can throw it open.

Obviously the body of the clasp may have i other shapes or contours than that shown and the base-plate and face-plate may be integralV lowed on its under side at the point where the A longitudinally-extending slot 8 therein is situated. This provides a more effective grip The construction should be of such a character that the arm 5 will press the laces in between parts of the jaw, as clearly shown.'

As it may be desirable to have the clasp secured to the shoe so that it will not become lost or mis'laid and so, also, that it may always be in place convenient for use, there is or may be on the free end of the jaw 4 an apertured lug 13, by which the clasp can be secured to the eyeleted flap of the shoe with a cord or the like. l

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. A clasp for laces having a body, a clasping-jaw hinged thereto and slidable longitudinally for latching, a spring which moves the jaw endwise,` a latch device yfor securing the jaw when closed, and another spring with a clasping-arm which throws the jaw open and which presses the laces up to the jaw when the latter is closed.

2. A clasp, having a body, a clasping-jaw hinged thereto and provided with a longitudinally-extending slot 8, means for securing the jaw when closed, a spring for throwing the jaw open, and a clasping-arrn 5 on'said spring adapted to enter into said slot 8 only when the jaw is closed.

3. A clasp for laces, having a body, a clasping-jaw hinged thereto and slidable longitudinally for latching, 'a spring which moves the jaw endWise when unlatched and open, a latch device which secures the jaw when closed, and another spring, with a clasping-arm, which throws the jaw open, said arm being so disposed as to press the laces against the jaw when the latter is closed.

4. A clasp for laces, having a body, a clasping-jaw hinged thereto and having a long slot 8 in its body portion, means for securing the jaw when closed, and a spring for throwing the jaw open, said spring having a claspingarm whichv extends longitudinally under the body portion of the jaw when the latter is closed and along the slot 8 therein, the end of said arm engaging the jaw near the hingingpoint of the latter.

5. A clasp, having a body provided with slotted hinging-lugs, a latching-stud 10, and a stud 2, a jaw 4, provided with hinging-lugs 4a, a spring 4b, a keeper 9 to engage the stud 10, and a beveled face 9 adjacent to the keeper, v

' PAUL W. GRUENER. GEORGE W. HENRY.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN H. HoLT, HENRY G. HosE. 

